Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a method of communicating voice or audio signals over the Internet and in this way enables a person to place phone calls over the Internet utilizing his or her computer system. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the components of a conventional VoIP system 100 that is formed by installing and configuring an external VoIP package 102 on a personal computer system 104. The external VO IP package 102 includes VoIP program or software 106 that is installed on the computer system 104 as indicated by the doffed line 108. A peripheral headset 110 in the package 102 is coupled to the computer system 104 through a suitable connection, such as through microphone input and speaker output connections on a conventional audio card (not shown) in the computer system. The computer system 104 is coupled to the Internet as indicated by a communications link 112 in FIG. 1.
In operation, a user purchases the VO IP package 102, installs the software 106 on the computer system 104, and connects the peripheral headset 110 to the computer system through the appropriate connection. Alternatively and probably more commonly, a user downloads the software 106 via the communication link 112 from a Web site of a VO IP service provider and separately purchases the peripheral headset 110. Once the software 106 has been installed, the user must configure the software to operate properly with the computer system 104 and establish an account with the VO IP service provider associated with the software 106.
While many users are comfortable downloading and installing software on their computer system 104, VoIP software 106 requires more extensive configuration than is typical with other types of programs, which are very simple to download, install, and run. As a result, many potential users are dissuaded from using VoIP software 106 due to the relatively difficult process of downloading and configuring such software to operate properly on the user's computer system 104. Users having technical backgrounds, such as engineers and scientists, may not be inhibited from utilizing such software 106 on their computer systems 104, but many other potential users are so inhibited by conventional VoIP software.
There is a need for a system and method of simplifying the process of implementing VoIP on a typical computer system.